Final tragedy of comedy star; The Unforgettable Yootha Joyce ITV, 10.00pm.
JOIN ITV in taking a look at the comedy actress who did not always have a lot to laugh about.Yootha Joyce was born in South London in 1927. Her parents were very talented - father was a singer and mother a concert pianist - so it was a natural choice for Yootha to spend a year studying at RADA.
While attending a theatre audition Yootha met her future husband, actor Glynn Edwards.
In 1958 they married and worked together at Joan Littlewood's renowned theatre workshop in East London.
Yootha met another actor there who would also change the shape of her future, Brian Murphy.
He says: "I was so full of admiration for her. When she walked on stage your eyes went to her."
This was the beginning of a working relationship that would bring them huge success.
Yootha was beginning to attract attention from TV producers and was offered her first running part in 'Me Mammy', as Milo O'Shea's girlfriend.
In 1968 Yootha and Glynn decided to end their marriage but remained the closest of friends thereafter.
In 1973 Yootha was offered a supporting role in a brand new comedy, 'Man About The House'.
The series changed her life forever and was a huge success, rarely out of the number one slot.
Co-star Sally Thomsett says: "Yootha had more fan mail than the rest of us put together."
Yootha's character Mildred was a strong, feisty woman, prone to dressing garishly in vibrant colours and constantly vying for her husband George's reluctant attention.
She caught the heart of the nation.
The couple were so popular that a spin-off series for ITV was devised entitled 'George and Mildred'. It was consistently at number one in the ratings, with audiences of 20 million and the series that followed were never out of the top three.
The stage show 'George and Mildred' took to the road touring Britain's seaside resorts during the summer season.
Terry Dickson, the tour manager, met and fell in love with Yootha.
Despite the significant age gap the relationship developed and they became a couple.
By the end of the '70s Yootha was once again on her own when the relationship with Terry came to an end.
She became unhappy and lonely, and very thin and began drinking heavily. She remained professional, never forgetting her lines so the realisation that her drinking was excessive was a shock to those close to her.
Yootha Joyce, the flamboyant, flirtatious, glamorous actress sadly lost her life on August 24, 1980 at the relatively young age of 53.
Midsomer Murders
ITV, 8.00pm
WHEN postman Dave Cutler is murdered on his rounds, DCI Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) and Sergeant Gavin Troy (Daniel Casey) rush to the hamlet of Goodman's Land.
The brutal killing rocks the backwater community, where WPC Jay Nash (Gillian Kearney) is more used to dealing with traffic cones than slashed throats.
With Jay's help, the detectives discover that Dave offered more than a postal service to the female villagers - and that there are several jealous husbands or jilted lovers who might have wanted him dead.
But when a woman's body is found on the village green with the same horrific injuries, the motive, all of a sudden, doesn't look quite so straightforward.
Barnaby and Troy discover the idyllic rural setting hides a maze of adulterous liaisons - and that a tense rivalry exists between the two local pubs.
There is one clue - the faint sound of old-fashioned dance band music, heard shortly before the murders took place.
But Troy is in no hurry to leave - the longer the crimes take to solve, the more time he has for his growing friendship with Jay.
Down To Earth
BBC1, 8.00pm
FAITH ADDIS (Pauline Quirke) and her husband, Brian (Warren Clarke), have decided to put a stop to children's holidays and concentrate on their organic vegetables.
Molly (Alexander Stone) is threatened by one of the local landowners, Mr Furze (Richard Beale), while she is by the river.
She is upset by the incident and can't sleep at night. Mr Furze claims the river does not belong to the Addis family and is part of his land. Addy (Pat Keen) decides to speak to Mr Furze to try and rectify things, but she only makes matters worse.
Great North Run
BBC1, 9.00am
SUE BARKER presents live coverage of the 21st BUPA Great North Run, the world's biggest half-marathon.
Around 47,000 people will tackle the 13.1 mile course from Newcastle to South Shields and, at the front, the finest collection of runners in the event's history will battle it out in the men's and women's races.
The field includes the fastest marathon man of all time, Khalid Khannouchi; Britain's number one, Jon Brown; and Derartu Tulu, the Ethopian star.
Africa's dominance in the men's race stretches back a decade, while last year Paula Radcliffe gave the British fans something to cheer when she took the women's title in a course record.
There will be a few familiar faces taking part, who are not usually associated with running.
Keep your eyes open for BBC Sports presenters Steve Rider, John Inverdale, Sally Gunnell, Ray Stubbs and John Motson, who are taking on the BBC Weather team of Isobel Lang, David Braine, Sarah Wilmhurst and Phil Avery.
As ever, Brendan Foster will commentate throughout the race. Foster is a former Olympic medallist, as is his co-commentator, Steve Cram.
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| Title Annotation: | Features |
|---|---|
| Publication: | Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland) |
| Date: | Sep 15, 2001 |
| Words: | 902 |
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